NSEWL will be "almost new" by 2018, says MOT

It has a new game plan to overhaul the ageing system.

The Ministry of Transport has unveiled a seven-point game plan to restore the reliability of the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL).

First, the system need to be replaced, overhaul and upgrade, as the lines are already nearing its 30th year.

This process has begun, Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan wrote in a blog post. All the sleepers for the entire North-South Line have been replaced; the replacement on the East-West Line began in May. The third rail and signalling systems are also being upgraded.

Apart from replacing ageing parts, the MOT will also ramp up maintenance as current maintenance levels are "inadequate".

SMRT and SBST will focus on ramping up their maintenance resources, including manpower.

Better support maintenance is also part of the plan. Engineering crew will be given more time to maintain trains during off-peak periods, such as during early Sunday mornings and school holidays.

The rail operators will also focus on engineering excellence to raise rail reliability.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will also strengthen its regulatory regime in order to detect problems before glitches turn into full-scale disruptions.

The MOT will also forge an integrated team and integrate industry structure in order to restore the rail network's reliability.

"These seven elements will collectively transform the state of rail reliability. The desired outcome is for good engineers to be able to do good work, for the larger public good, undistracted from secondary non-engineering objectives. It is a multi-year effort, but if we stay the course, we can experience distinct improvements in rail reliability in the coming couple of years,” the minister wrote.